


Biotic Attraction

by N7Pharaohess



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Love, Moving Meditation, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Shenko - Freeform, Training, dance, re-connecting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-03-01
Packaged: 2019-03-25 18:08:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13840200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/N7Pharaohess/pseuds/N7Pharaohess
Summary: Shepard and Kaidan train in the hold of the SR2, and find a way to reconnect with one another. Set after the Citadel coup but before Apollo's.





	Biotic Attraction

~~~~"Hey, Vega."

Vega turned at the sound of Shepard's voice, pausing the typing he was doing on his datapad. "Hey Commander. Don't usually see you down here in the dark."

Shepard was leaning against the crates near his workbench, dressed in Alliance-issue sweats and an N7 singlet, the red and white stripe faded from wear. She smirked at him. "Funnily enough, that's why I'm here. Mind taking a break for a while and giving me the cargo bay? I want to do some biotic training before I turn in."

"Uhh..." The request caught Vega strangely off guard. "I mean, yeah, Commander, of course. I was going to play some cards with Steve and a couple of the guys, anyway. " 

Shepard's weight shifted from one foot to the other casually. "I'd appreciate it. I'll be done in a few hours." 

Vega nodded, grabbing up a few personal effects to take with him. "Take your time, Shepard. We'll be playing for more than a that; the Major owes me some credits." If she smiled slightly at the mention of Kaidan, he pretended not to notice. They  _all_ pretended not to notice how much the two were dancing around one another. He knew there'd been some past grievances between them, some broken trust and getting over the whole Shepard-being-resurrected thing. Garrus had spilled enough one slightly drunken night to hint that the two of them had had a rather emotional argument on Horizon the year before, and it didn't take much to guess why it had affected them so much. Shepard's behaviour after Mars – her cry of anguish when Kaidan was attacked, how she sat with him in the medbay doing whatever she could think of to try and help, and her look of utter despair when it became clear he wasn't waking up yet – spoke volumes. 

And now Major Alenko was back on the crew, a spectre no less. Vega had wondered why he didn't have a ship and command of his own, but that was obvious too, as were the heated words he'd heard had Kaidan said to Shepard on Mars. That was defensiveness borne out of hurt and grief. Vega knew he probably wasn't considered to be an observant member of the crew, but those two had it  _bad_ for one another, and it was clear that as much as both of them wanted to, both were afraid to take the first step. Whether that fear was for themselves or trying to protect the other, Vega couldn't tell. 

He glanced at Shepard as she walked beside him, back towards the elevator. "You, uh, prefer individual space for training?" Vega hoped the question wasn't too personal. 

Beside him, Shepard seemed unfazed. "Yeah, I like being able to be alone sometimes. Makes it more freeing to know it's just me, plus I don't have to worry about my biotics getting in anyone's way. It's not like I have a problem training with you guys, but sometimes I just need to centre myself, you know?" She gave him a crooked grin as they paused next to Cortez. 

"Yes Ma'am, I hear that." Vega turned to Cortez. "Come on, Esteban, time for some cards." 

"Sure thing Vega. Hanger's all yours, Ma'am." Steve smiled warmly at Shepard who nodded to both of them, immediately understanding that he was being kindly dismissed. 

"I really appreciate you two indulging your odd Commander. Promise I'll try not to break anything."

"Well, if you damage the Kodiak it'll just give Esteban some real work to do!" Vega called over his shoulder as he and Steve walked into the elevator. Just before the elevator door closed, Vega saw that Shepard had turned away from them and was beginning to stretch out her shoulders. He shrugged to himself. If Shepard wanted to train in private, that was her prerogative. Anyway, there were more important things to consider. He had a game of cards to win, more than one in fact, and some dearly deserved payback to dish out. 

Within the hanger, Shepard watched the two men step into the elevator and turned to where she'd put her bag. She'd never liked an audience for training, and it was okay when everyone was doing the same thing or she was sparring, but the sort of training she was in the mood for didn't require her to be self-conscious if she really wanted to get as much out of it as she could. She'd not had a chance, or the mindset, to go over some her biotic sets in ages, and after today's mission she'd felt the need to stretch her aching muscles in the keen but easy rhythm that only they could provide. It would also hopefully help her to quiet her stressed and tired mind. 

Some of her fellow Alliance trainees had likened it to dancing. Shepard had only half agreed with them, always privately thinking it was more like marital arts katas or capoeira, depending on the music. Because there was always music – and while the move sets could be done without it, Shepard always found herself so much more focused when there was music swirling around her in time with her biotic aura. It felt personal, like a way to ground herself within a galaxy so large she sometimes felt she'd drown in everything expected of her and the harrowing missions she was tasked with. Some peace and quiet, a moving meditation, was what she needed right now. 

"EDI?" She called aloud as she rummaged in the small bag, discarded earlier when she'd first entered the cargo bay.

"Yes, Shepard?" Came the smooth, disembodied answer.

"Can you input a low-level privacy protocol for the hanger bay? Cameras set to senior access only, coms set to silent aside from priority 2 and higher. Elevator access manual from this side, excepting officer override." Shepard pulled out a small datapad and connected it to the console nearby. "Bay intercom connected to my datapad."

"Of course, Shepard. Are you engaging in a private human ritual?"

Trust EDI to be curious. Shepard paused mid-way through taking off her hoodie, smiling to herself. "Just some training, EDI. For a few hours." She glanced up towards the intercom speaker. "Sometimes it's just nice to have the space to myself."

"As you wish, Commander. Custom privacy protocol is in place. Logging you out."

The hold fell blessedly silent so only the low hum of the  _Normandy_ engines could be heard. Shepard took a deep breath as she pressed play on the list of tracks she had queued up on her data pad, and moved to the centre of the space before her. Time to get started. 

* * *

"Vega, you gotta be cheating." Joker said for the fourth time as Vega triumphantly swept the pot towards himself. The marine's winnings were certainly respectable, though the smug grin plastered on his face was less so. 

"Not my fault I can read you like an open book."

Kaidan grinned. They'd been playing for about three quarters of an hour and already Joker was losing fairly badly. Vega regularly played poker on the Citadel, and knew how to look for tells. It had taken Kaidan himself a while to keep his composure completely level so Vega couldn't try and psych him out, and now was able to hold his own, somewhat. Last time he'd just been  _really_ lucky. 

"Should get the Commander up here," Joker was muttering. "Wouldn't be able to read her, she'd take you down a peg or two..."

Vega shook his head as he reached for his drink. "Nah, she's training in the hold. Didn't want to be disturbed, by the look of things."

"Training?" Kaidan asked casually as he restacked his chips. He'd not known her to kick people out of a training space before, and wondered what she could be doing. But he also didn't want to obviously be  _too_ interested in what she was doing, lest those around the table question why. His feelings towards Shepard hadn't changed, though after everything they'd been through and all the times he'd put his foot squarely in his mouth, he couldn't be sure what she thought of him now. It wasn't like they'd had time to really talk it out, either. 

"Commander Shepard said she wanted some space to centre herself," Cortez provided. "I believe she was going to be doing biotic training."

Kaidan raised an eyebrow at that. He was trying to think what  _sort_ of biotic training she could be doing – maybe something dangerous and didn't want to be looked after, or trying something new and didn't want to be laughed at until it was perfected? Sounded about right, Kaidan thought as he bit back a sigh. He began to wonder if he should check on her when there was a flare of iridescent orange to his left as Joker's omnitool appeared. He waved it at the men before him. "Should we check on our secret squirrel?" 

Cortez looked slightly abashed. "Shepard did say she wanted privacy..."

Joker, slightly flushed by the drink they'd all been sharing, waved a dismissive hand. "We're just going to check in on her, make sure she hasn't knocked herself out."

"Commander Shepard is quite active and does not appear to be unconscious," said a voice from the doorway. "Though a privacy protocol is in place, I am still monitoring her vital functions." EDI's slimline platform walked over to the card table and placed a hand on Joker's shoulder. "I do not think it polite to interrupt her."

Kaidan eyed her warily. Over the few days he'd been on board again, he still wasn't quite used to her. EDI had kindly gone out of her way to make him feel more at ease, as had Joker and Shepard, but he couldn't stop the initial reaction to seeing her. 

"We're not going to interrupt, I'm just going to quickly peek to see she's not getting into trouble. Or something. Just checking!" Joker tapped the command to bring up the cargo bay camera but nothing happened. 

"As I said, a privacy protocol is in place. Crew access to the cameras has been restricted." EDI's tone seemed to be slightly amused in regards to her tipsy pilot.

Kaidan held up a hand. "Joker, maybe you should just respect her wishes?"

The Normandy's pilot looked melodramatically offended. "What's with all the negativity, people? We're going to check in on her,  _without_ interrupting her. If she's in trouble, we can help.  If she looks like she needs help  _despite_ everything she says, we can provide. And if she's doing something stupid, then I'll drink until I forget I saw anything. If you goody-two-shoes don't want to be responsible then fine, I'll just do it myself." He went back to his omnitool. "Camera override, Flight Lieutenant Moreau, Jeff."

"Override granted," EDI sighed in a distinctly resigned tone. 

Kaidan watched Joker out the corner of his eye. He  _was_ curious as to what Shepard was up to, but also wasn't keen on invading her privacy. Part of him was a little disappointed she didn't invite him to train with her, as there were some interesting exercises the two of them could do in tandem, and he'd like the chance to work with her biotics when their lives weren't in danger - especially as her skills had clearly grown in the last year.

Joker peered at him omitool. "Yep, there she is. She's fine. She's..." he trailed off for a moment, before looking up at all of them with an open mouthed grin. "Oh man, you guys gotta take a look, it's  _awesome_." He sounded sincere. 

Curiosity peaked, the three other men left their chairs to peer at Joker's omnitool over his shoulder.

The screen showed the cargo bay as it usually was, with Shepard in the centre. She was moving in slow, precise movements, every step and hand placement fluid and graceful. She was glowing, her biotic corona pulsing around her as she gracefully swept from one movement to another, making lazy patterns across the hold floor. Her aura would pulse and move in response to her movements, as she manipulated the dark energy.  It gave her some kind of ethereal, other-worldly quality. 

Kaidan thought she looked  _beautiful_. 

He suddenly realised the others were looking at him "What's she doing?" Vega prompted. "Is it a biotic thing?"

The Major glanced back at the screen, taking note of the movements and their repetition, and how they would flow together. "She's doing biotic movement sets. They're choreographed patterns of movement most used to help new biotics harness and control their abilities. I learnt these years ago," he murmured. He watched as Shepard paused, let her corona die, then repositioned herself for the next set, which she performed faster and more sharply than the last....it was then Kaidan noticed the tiny soundwaves in the corner of the camera screen – music. She was training to music, altering her style to match, making this go beyond just the movements on their own. She was putting herself into this. 

An overwhelming urge to go and join her came over him. How amazing it would be to be part of this with her...but he wasn't going to intrude. No, that would be rude of him and potentially crossing a line. Shepard had done this for her own benefit...but then again, he knew some of the move sets were better with a partner – especially the more advanced sets she was working up to. He'd send her a message, that's what he'd do. If she saw it, it was up to her. If she didn't find it until she was done, then no harm no foul.

Joker had closed the feed under pressure from EDI, who was now recounting him with the various studies and articles she had read on the subject of rudeness while he tried to defend himself. Cortez and Vega were raiding the bar at the other end of the room for fresh drinks, so Kaidan took the chance to send a quick message to Shepard before he backed out of the idea.  _Vega mentioned you're training. Need a sparring partner?_

To Joker's credit, all he mentioned before the next hand was dealt was "Man, you biotics can do some awesome things."

"That we can," Kaidan said, pulling his next hand towards him. It wasn't too good, all things considered, and he couldn't help frowning at his cards.  

They went a few more rounds, Cortez out-bluffing Vega and then Vega smugly winning everything back the next turn, before Kaidan's omitool alerted him to a new message. He flicked it up casually, trying not to look eager. It was, as he'd hoped, a reply from Shepard. 

_Only if you've gone bust._

Now that was something he could do.  

* * *

Shepard pivoted on the ball of her foot, bringing her other leg through as she transferred the weight. Slowly she brought her arms around, keeping them perfectly level, letting the music dictate her movement speed and fluidity. Here in the hold there was just her and the music.  

And maybe someone else, if he appeared. She had been unsure whether she wanted him to join in initially, not because she wanted to be alone – he was the perfect partner for this – but because this was so personal to her and, if she was honest, slightly embarrassing. It was the complete opposite of the side of her she showed the crew; the unmovable, strong Commander Shepard, who couldn't dance and could put a hole through a man's head or charge into him at breakneck speed without flinching. Not a light-on-her-feet woman who could move gracefully while doing training sets, letting herself be swept away by music. This was vulnerability no one had seen before. Not even Kaidan, all those years ago.

Then there was the issue of how he felt about her. He might have been genuinely asking about biotic sparring, not realising she was doing something a bit more...personal. After weighting the two courses of action against one another – inviting him and showing him this silliness, and not having him there at all, she'd thrown caution to the wind and sent her message. She couldn't deny she still wanted him near her, even if she just ended up torturing herself. 

The current music track was a soft, gently played piano. For some reason it reminded her of rain on windows, but she didn't know why. It allowed her to ease through the movements, extending out her fingertips and sweeping her body in carefully controlled movements. Her corona was flared softly, the tingle of the dark energy running down her arms. At this point, she was more or less following the movement sets, but with added freeform to test her own control and balance. At least, she told herself it was for control and balance, but secretly it was because the music moved her. She knew it well, and the piece was coming to an end so she slipped back into the proper movement set and finished it as the last strains of the piano died away. She relaxed in the moments of silence that followed, stretching her neck. A voice behind her made her jump. 

"Please, don't stop."

Shepard started, spinning to the face the elevator. Kaidan was leaning against one of the consoles. How long had he been watching? She covered her embarrassment by raising an eyebrow, "You mother never teach you to knock?"

"I used the officer override," Kaidan said, indicating to the door over his shoulder, which she vaguely noted was locked again. "Didn't want to interrupt you."

"I see. Pulling rank, then." She was still slightly embarrassed at being caught unawares, but the initial surprise was starting to fade. Kaidan was looking at her strangely, half smile on his face. He almost looked surprised, Shepard considered, maybe impressed? But there was something else in his eyes, like he was thinking deeply. "What?"

He dropped his eyes from hers, laughing softly to himself. "I'll never figure you out." He walked forward, stripping off the top layer of his fatigues as he went, leaving him in a far more comfortable Alliance issue singlet. "So, why do you always say you can't dance?"

Shepard ran a hand through her scarlet hair. "Um, because I can't?"

"That's not what I just saw. What I just saw was you moving in a way I've never seen before. It almost reminded me of..." He trailed off, getting his thoughts in order. "An odd combination of the way you move on the battlefield, and that night before Ilos." Kaidan shifted slightly under her stare, hoping bringing up Ilos hadn't been a stupid idea. "Regardless of my bad explanation, you can clearly dance."

"I can do move sets. It's not the same." She shrugged. 

"We'll have to agree to disagree there, Commander." Kaidan stretched out his shoulders as he stood beside her. "Where are you in the sets?" 

"Second-to-last of the intermediate forms. But be advised, I do sometimes...improvise."

Kaidan grinned to himself, noting the faint pink blush on Shepard's face as he took the opening position for the form, listening to Shepard's measured breathing beside him. The music, which had continued as they spoke, had changed to a violin piece, slightly faster tempo but no less graceful than the one he had heard before. It was sweeping, and Kaidan was reminded of old fantasy epics he had watched as a kid. The violin began to get more insistent against a slower constant beat, and Shepard began to move. He fell into rhythm beside her, the movements coming back to him like he'd learned them yesterday.   

Shepard, evidently a bit self-conscious, was precise but somewhat stiff as they began. She was fluid as they moved through the set but Kaidan knew she wasn't moving the same way as when she thought she'd been unwatched, and he felt guilty for invading what was clearly a private ritual even though he’d been invited. But surely, slowly, the tension drained from Shepard and her breathing evened.  

Moving in tandem, Kaidan noticed when she would improvise. He didn't think she even realised she was doing it half the time; an arm extension here, a hip sweep there as she put her whole body into the motion. Her emotional connection to the music was making her expressive, even if she didn't believe it was clear she could dance. Their biotic fields flared together as they moved, bathing the hold in an unearthly blue light. Kaidan felt himself slowly letting go, as the music swept any stray thoughts away. There was only the music, the swell of dark energy, and her beside him. 

They continued through two move sets, then three, before Shepard turned to Kaidan in the middle of one particularly moving piece of music – he thought it inspiring, overcoming odds or something – and swept a hand out towards him. Her biotic corona swept down her arm to her fingertips, seeming to pool in mid-air. As she moved through the next forms, the wave of energy seemed to follow the direction of her movement, travelling from her hand down her arm, then across her chest, to place in her other hand before trailing down to follow the movement of her leg placement. Kaidan copied her, marvelling at the delicate control she was displaying – and found that although his wave didn’t seem quite so flexible, he was able to direct it too, making it a part of the music in a way he’d never considered before. Here she was, Hero of the Citadel and the woman who defied death, showing him how beautiful the energy could be in the right circumstances. 

When the music track came to an end Shepherd let the energy dissipate from her fingertips. She turned to face Kaidan. “Should we try something a bit different?”

He regarded her curiously. “What did you have in mind?”

Shepard brought her hands up into a basic guard, sliding her foot against the floor into an opening stance. She grinned at him, a mischievous expression that made his breath catch. “Just follow my lead, you’ll pick it up.”

The music started up again, a new piece with a new feeling. Shepard paused, her eyes on Kaidan’s. He could tell she wasn’t really seeing him, she was waiting for the right moment, the right beat of music. He, on the other hand, was drinking her in. 

After a few seconds she stepped, throwing out a punch. Matching her pace, Kaidan moved so it slipped past him, stepping in as he did so to join her in what became half-dance, half-sparring. It was a strangely invigorating way to spar, Kaidan thought. Slow enough that there was no real physical contact, but keeping in time with the music and Shepard meant using both instinct and discipline in an oddly cohesive way. Their punches would barely graze one another, a kick was more about consistency of movement and strength than contact, and all the while the music filled them, dictating their ‘battle’. She moved around him and he around her, in the slowed hand-to-hand combat, trading blows with light steps and flowing movements. 

As she moved, Shepard breathed slow and deep, letting the movements come as they would to counter Kaidan’s retaliation. If it could be called that – she was surprised and pleased to see he was taking this so seriously, and seemed to be deeply within the same feeling as her. It was almost a trance, so centred and lost to the outside world, a dream you didn’t want to wake from. At one point, they came close together and instead of another unhurried trade of strikes, his hand simply caressed her arm, letting his fingertips brush down her skin. 

His touch was gentle, almost – dare she think – loving. Little lines of tingles travelled down her arm, warming her to her core with adoration. In return she drew her hand momentarily down his face softly as she let her biotics flare. She pushed her corona to cover him too for a moment, never stopping her own movements, as they separated with a new purpose. Sparring was all but forgotten now as Kaidan’s own biotic aura flickered into life, and they moved their coronas, pushing and pulling their energies against one another in time with the now gentle piano music.  

It was like the gentlest tug-of-war, each energy wave being manipulated by both the person controlling it and the force of the opposing barrier. The hold was bathed in the pulsing spectral blue light, and they were both glowing. Kaidan vaguely wondered how they must look, two otherworldly, astral figures moving in tandem in a slow circle, bouncing their energies off one another. In another time, it might have been called magic. 

Shepard stepped towards him on the balls of her feet, reaching out to him. As he touched her hand, he felt his corona meet hers. Instead of just brushing against one another, or rippling against the other energy field as they had been, Kaidan felt something change. There was a pulse and the two fields merged together.

He’d never shared his corona with another biotic before. He knew it could be done, and some biotics had pulled off seriously impressive things by using another’s energy merged with their own, but he’d always kept his aura to himself. Part of being an L2, he could access higher levels than the usual Alliance biotics could and he didn’t want to overload another’s amp. But Shepard’s Cerberus amp was already proven to be something special, and here she was easily pooling her energy with his. It was incredible – somehow, he could feel her through it. Not just as another biotic, but like she was part of him.

The feeling of combining biotics was not, as he’d expected, some kind of shock or sudden surge in strength but instead a much calmer, warmer sensation, like someone had taken a load off his shoulders to share it. He did feel the pulse of more energy at his command, though in the calm atmosphere of the hold it was quiet and symbiotic, supportive. 

Shepard hadn't known if it would work, but she couldn't deny the feeling of contentment that washed over her when the two auras combined. It was invigorating and yet somehow so calming. Being connected to him like this was like nothing she'd ever experienced before, and it gave her strength to make a tentative movement.  She stepped closer and turned, coming to rest her back against Kaidan’s chest.

Normally, Kaidan thought vaguely, this would have tempted his desires in the direction of the captains’ quarters above them – her pressed closely against him, warm and breathing heavily, with her heavy lidded eyes and perspiring battlefield beauty. But as much as he wanted her, he wanted to preserve this purely serene scene more. Them and the music, so perfectly in sync together, their biotic auras melded together into one flickering wave. It was almost more intimate than any other time he had spent with her. He had never been more connected with her on such a deep level, never loved her as much as he did in that moment. She truly was his perfect fit, his other half he’d never realised was missing until he met her. 

This moment together eclipsed all that had come before. It masked the pain of Horizon, the confusion and anguish of what followed and the trust that had to be regained. It smoothed over Cerberus’ attack on the Citadel, where they had been at each other’s gunpoint. It forgot the anger, the hurt, the problems and guilt, the worry that every mission could be their last and that the Reapers had come. Through this they had reconnected with one another, and suddenly words seemed meaningless. This was surety, a promise that no matter what happened they would be together. The truth that, even after admitting there was still something there, words could never truly express. 

Pressed against him, Shepard lifted her arms to position them for the next opening move. Kaidan lightly ran his hands down her arms, coming to rest atop hers and entwining their fingers. Together, they moved as one. With only the music as their guide, they stepped and flowed in time, her with elegance that left him speechless and him with a grace she’d never realised. They moved in harmony, letting one another take turns at taking the lead to the next movement, the emotional and tonal changes in the track helping them form some kind of narrative that was all their own within the move sets.

There was something distinctly powerful about their movements, an intent and purpose that spoke to their nature as warriors. Despite the music, the fanciful orchestral scoring filling the hold, and the movements being so close to an intimate dance, there was undeniable strength and beauty as they moved as one. Shepard would guide Kaidan into the next sequence and he moved willingly where she led, following the flowing moves, before taking over and leading her into another movment. 

The music swirled around them, as did their combined biotics. The blended aura flared softly with the movements and they channeled the energy into different waves and shapes, or expanding the field with one movement, bringing it close with another as the training was meant to do. But this was the first time, Kaidan considered later, that he'd seen his biotics as something other than a tool. They'd always been a part of him, and his use of them had been (mostly) restricted to the battlefield or military duties. Yet, here he was, enshrined in light and deeply at peace, and seeing for the first time how extraordinary it really was. The light played off Shepard's skin before him as the field changed throughout their movement, bending and flexing from their combined will. 

When the playlist ended and silence filled the hold, Kaidan wished there was more. He wanted to stay here, where it was just them. No war, no rank, no responsibilities. But he knew that couldn't be so, not yet. Shepard moved against him, turning to face him and gently putting a hand against his face. She was smiling at him serenely – and she looked at peace. Happy in this moment with him. 

His own arms automatically wrapped around her waist, and he gazed down at her in silence, not wanting to break the spell. Slowly she pulled his head down to rest against hers and his eyes closed, and together they stood in the hold, silent and unmoving for a few more long moments. Shepard smiled to herself, savouring his arms around her waist and the warmth of his forehead against hers. This was where she forever wanted to be. 

She'd not expected Kaidan to be so receptive to her workout. And not only that, but to be seemingly so moved by it as she was. The feelings she had for him were, of course, still there and all the stronger. He truly was her other half, and although she'd admitted as much to herself before, never had it been made so crystal clear as it had been through sharing the deep connection the training had brought on. As much as part of her wanted to silently lead him upstairs to her cabin and give all of herself to him, a bigger part of her didn't want to break the serenity of what had just transpired. They were both healing, and although they had mended a lot of bridges and just shared something incredible, she couldn't be sure how ready Kaidan was for anything else. At least he was back in her life and here with her now. Until she could be sure, the fact that they had shared this together was a wholly reassuring and peaceful feeling and she would gladly take that as a very good sign.

Shepard pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, and then was gone from his arms. Kaidan stood for a moment, breathing deeply with his eyes still closed as he smiled at the feel of her lips against him. When he opened his eyes, he caught sight of her by the door as she removed the privacy protocols that had been put in place. She smiled back at him, and then slipped away into the elevator. 

He sighed in contentment, realising, as he picked up his discarded clothing, that whatever was between them  _was_ still there – and from her behaviour Shepard was feeling it too. There was no way around the fact that he and Shepard connected and bonded in a way few others could understand, and that this was possibly the worst possible timing for it to be so apparent. He'd been a fool in the past, and it was high time to put that behind him and find an appropriate moment to open up to the woman that still held him enchanted. Somehow. 

* * *

Joker turned the camera feed off. For one of the first times in his life, he was genuinely speechless. What he'd just witnessed – prying, yes and EDI would never let him hear the end of it, but it had been worth it to witness such a display – was nothing short of extraordinary. It was also clear that Shepard and Alenko still had a major thing for one another, very clearly even after all they'd been through. Joker couldn't fault their match, though, or hold it against them. All was fair in love and war, and the connection and intimacy he'd just witnessed between them was testament to how well they went together. He'd never admit to it, for fear of being called sentimental, but he hoped they could work past whatever had been holding them back from being together. Even with the galaxy falling apart around them, if there was one small moment that could give either Kira or Kaidan some measure of happiness, then they deserved it. 

He snuck a sidelong glance at EDI, who was tidying up the bar in the lounge. Yeah. Just one moment of happiness, and the knowledge that there was someone on your side who would fight with you, and for you, was a shining beacon of hope in the encroaching darkness. And that could make all the difference.

Joker sighed as he gently rose from the table, careful in his steps. Maybe it was time for him to give a close friend that last nudge in the direction of hope. Apparently, Apollo's Cafe still had steak. 


End file.
